Canada report cites institutional failures in eight child deaths

A report released by the National Association of Women and the Law and law professors from the University of Sherbrooke identifies institutional failures in the deaths of eight children across five cases in Canada between 2011 and 2020.

The analysis concludes that significant warning signs regarding violence, abuse, and coercion were present in every case, yet failed to trigger adequate protective actions. The report highlights that women—including mothers and grandmothers—who sought help from police, family courts, and child protection services were often dismissed or penalized. In some instances, protective family members were labeled as hostile or irrational, leading to a loss of custody.

One specific case involved a seven-year-old girl in Granby, Quebec, whose grandmother’s warnings of sexual abuse were ignored, resulting in the grandmother losing custody. Another case detailed the death of four-year-old Keira Kagan; despite emergency motions to supervise parenting time due to escalating risks, judicial and child protection authorities did not intervene before the incident.

Advocates at a press conference on Parliament Hill are calling for legislative changes, including a private members’ bill introduced by Liberal MP Lisa Hepfner. The bill aims to curb the use of parental alienation claims, which the report describes as a litigation strategy used to deflect attention from abuse and undermine a child’s disclosures of fear.